Tuesday Tuneup- #58
What happens after the estimate makes or breaks your close rate.
Happy Tuesday everyone!
Let me ask you a quick question:
Have you ever had a prospect tell you, “This looks great—we just need a few days to think about it”…
…and then you never heard from them again?
You’re not alone.
In fact, this is where MOST HOME SERVICE REPS LOSE THE DEAL!
Not because the estimate was too high….
Not because the customer went with a competitor….
But because the follow-up was weak—or worse, didn’t happen at all.
Let’s dig into why this happens, what to do about it, and how a few simple shifts in your follow-up process can double your close rate.
The deal doesn’t die when they say “let me think about it”……It dies when you believe them.
If a potential client says, “We need a few days,” what they usually mean is:
“I’m not totally sold yet.”
“I have some concerns I’m not comfortable voicing.”
“I want to compare a few quotes.”
That’s not an objection—it’s a signal that your follow-up matters more than ever.
But here's the problem...
Most sales reps follow up 2–3 times, then give up.
They assume silence means no.
But what if it doesn’t? What if the customer’s kid got sick, or they got slammed at work, or they just needed a nudge? What if the 6th or 7th touchpoint would’ve made the difference?
Because study after study has shown that
Over 80% of sales happen between the 5th and 12th touchpoint.
(And most reps stop at 2.)
So if your team’s not following up 7–10 times strategically, you’re leaving cash on the table.
Let me walk you through a smarter cadence—a structure based on intentional communication, not annoying persistence.
Here’s how to think about it:
Days 0–3
– Send the estimate (100% Confirm they get it)
– Follow up with a value reminder
– Ask a clarifying question like: “Just out of curiosity, what part of the quote stood out to you most?”
Days 4–7
– Share a testimonial or before/after photo
– Drop a text like: “Hey [First Name], I’m curious—has anything changed on your end since we last connected?”
Days 8–14
– Check in with a call (voicemail is fine)
– Offer a simple incentive or time-sensitive benefit
– Use curiosity to reopen the door: “Were you hoping to get this taken care of before [seasonal anchor—summer, holidays, etc.]?”
No pressure. No pushy closing.
Just questions that create internal dialogue.
Why This Works (Psychologically)
When you follow up the right way:
You stay top of mind without being annoying
You create micro-commitments through curiosity
You reduce buyer anxiety by making the process feel safer, not more stressful
Most importantly: You build trust.
And people buy when they feel safe—not pressured.
How do you ensure all this happens?
In a perfect world, we have automations and tech help out with this kind of stuff. Truth be told, there’s a lot of modern systems that can help assist you with this process. HOWEVER….. most of us drastically underestimate the amount of effort new tech takes to onboard/ build out AND if you automate something that doesn’t work….. you just multiply your problems.
As I tell my son’s baseball team “If we practice the wrong things over and over again, we’ll get really good at doing the wrong things”
So…..
Manually start this TODAY. Just book the task in your calendar.
Once you figure out what works for you…. then you can start to bring in tech to help.
If you’re a sales manager, start doing some of the follow up yourself OR bring in another team member to assist. That way you know the follow up is happening regardless while your team works to build new habits.
Final Thought:
Here’s a question worth asking yourself this week:
“If my team just followed up one more time with every quote…
…how much more revenue would we bring in this month?”
If the answer makes you pause—it’s time to level up your follow-up game.
Until next week….
Happy Selling
PS- If you’d like a second eye on your follow up process or any other challenges you’re running into on the sales front, that’s what we do. Let us know, we’ll jump on a call and hopefully get you pointed in the right direction.